Puking Robot App Aims To Stop Kids From Robo-Tripping

There have been endless attempts to convince teens not to do drugs, drink alcohol or smoke pot.

Some of them are effective. Some just can’t quite seem to hinder the inevitable rite-of-passage some teens choose to travel. But that doesn’t — and shouldn’t — prevent brands and cause groups from trying.

This latest effort comes from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. Working with Tribal New York, the two groups have created an iPhone and Android app called DXM Labworks.

Its aim is to convince kids 14-19 that robo-tripping, or consuming cough syrup with dextromethorphan in high quantities — is dangerous and can have long-term ill effects.

The app, DXM Labworks, is a game that challenges players to perform three tasks as a robot character while other friends who are robots look on. Basically. the name of the game is to prevent your robot self from puking up a massive stream of purple.

The app’s aim is to allow players to experience the side effects of robo-tripping without actually having to swill a bottle of cough syrup. Whether or not that’s effective remains to be seen. But it’s a good effort.